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American Imperialism
America emerges as a world power
What is imperialism?
• Imperialism: the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic,
political, or military control over weaker territories.
• 1880’s, policymakers wanted the US to join imperial powers of Europe and claim
an empire
• European Imperialism, est. practice for centuries
• Great Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Spain competed for raw
materials in Africa, and carved up the continent into colonies.
• Only Ethiopia, and Liberia were independent nations during this time.
• Great Britain acquired an empire that included a quarter of the world’s population; “The sun
never sets on the British Empire.”
• Berlin Conference: first international agreement on imperialism in Africa. 14 nations attended
and set up a system for claiming lands in Africa without going to war with each other (1884)
What is imperialism?
• Asian Imperialism, late nineteenth-century Japan replaced feudal system with a
central government based on Western nations.
• Japan joined European nations in carving up interests in China.
• US did not want colonies in Asia - it did compete with other nations to expand trading
opportunities with China.
• American Imperialism, Manifest Destiny leads into imperialist tendencies in
American population
• Three reasons:
• Economic competition among industrial nations (Europe and Japan)
• Political and military competition, including the creation of a strong naval force
• Belief in the racial and cultural superiority of people of Anglo-Saxon descent, esp. in
comparison with nonwhite people.
Roots of American Expansionism and
Imperialism
• As the United States industrialized, businessmen began to look overseas for:
• additional markets
• sources of raw materials for future developments and potential investment
• Many believed that America should emulate Britain (colonies and navy)
• Expansionists wanted the United States to establish territories overseas before the European
nations acquired any additional colonies
• First attempt was buying Alaska from Russia (1867)
• Later, pursuit of interests south in the Caribbean  war against Spain
Spanish American War
• What led up to the war?
• The United States had interest in Cuba for a while
• Throughout the 19th century the Cubans had tried to overthrow Spanish rule but not
successful
• 1895, a new revolution broke out  Spain responded with great force and brutality  loss of
millions of American investments (and mistreatment of Cubans) led to American demand for
action
• 1898, Battleship Maine to Cuba exploded at Havana with the loss of 250 officers and men.
• perceived as an act of war against the United States
• President McKinley was reluctant to declare war on Spain without clear evidence of Spanish
involvement in the Maine’s destruction
• A leading newspaper published a letter stolen from the Havana post office written by the Spanish
minister to the United States. The De Lôme Letter belittled the American President and angered
many Americans  demand for war against Spain.
Spanish American War
• America had already began modernizing (“updating”) its navy
• Two-ocean fleet; one for the Atlantic coast and the other for the Pacific Coast
• Prior to the declaration of war, Roosevelt (then Asst. Secretary of the Navy) positioned
ships near the Philippines where Spanish ships were stationed
• US naval then land attack
• At the time, US navy was small (28k) and were mostly veterans from the Plains Indian
War
• Eventually, grew to 220k
• While waiting on new troops to be trained, US blockaded the Cuban coast, trapping Spanish fleet
• Spanish forces were more prepared
• However, due to Roosevelt, four regiments of African American troops, and a volunteer
unit, known as the “Rough Riders”, the US forced Spanish retreat; meanwhile, other US
forces seized Puerto Rico
Spanish American War
The Treaty of Paris, 1898
• Spain agreed to Cuban independence
• Puerto Rico (Caribbean) and Guam (Pacific) were ceded to the US
• The Philippines were acquired by the US for $20 mil.
• Led to war for Filipino independence
• Guerilla force known as freedom fighters were led by Emilio Aguialdo
• 1902, the freedom fighters were defeated and US was in control until 1946
• The US now had strategically built presence and influence in the Atlantic and
Pacific regions
• Also, debate about annexation of Hawaii led to Anti-Imperialist League (Twain,
Carnegie, and Jennings Bryan)
• Launched court cases about US right to rule outside of US  some could become states or
territories (Alaska, Hawaii, and PR) and some would not (Philippines)
American Imperialism: Latin America
• Following the end of the Spanish-American War the United States was in an
excellent position to take advantage of markets throughout Latin America
• US wanted to develop a trans-oceanic canal between the Atlantic and Pacific
Ocean  the Panama Canal
• Three reasons for canal: 1) to shorten sailing time between east and west coast; 2)
facilitate naval movements between coasts; and, 3) to protect US holdings in the Pacific
• Earlier attempts by US and France had been failures
• US had to overcome difficult terrain (land) and tropical illnesses to build
Panama Canal
• To protect the canal and U.S. regional interests, Theodore Roosevelt issued
what became known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (usual
shortened to the Roosevelt Corollary)
Roosevelt’s Corollary
• 1902, Great Britain threatens to invade Venezuala
• Roosevelt reminds them of Monroe Doctrine
• 1904, Roosevelt stated that the Europeans were not welcome in the region and the U.S.
would oversee the collection of any national debts owed by Latin American nations to
Europeans
• “Big Stick Policy”
• President Roosevelt based his foreign policy on the idea of "Speak softly and carry a big stick;
you will go far."
• Roosevelt held that negotiations (Speak softly) were key to any relationships but if
negotiations were not fruitful, then U.S. would use its military to enforce order (the Big
Stick)
• Invoking the Corollary, the United States intervened in the Dominican Republic in 1904,
Nicaragua in 1912, and Haiti in 1915
• Policy pleased Europeans, but not Latin Americans